Local elections: Council leaders call for urgent decision on May 6 polls

Council leaders have urged Boris Johnson to decide "as soon as possible" whether May's local elections across England will go ahead.

Voters are due to go to the polls on 6 May for a series of council and mayoral polls which were due to happen in 2020 but were postponed by a year.

The PM told MPs the date was set down in law but would be kept under review.

But the County Councils Network said clarity was needed now given the scale of the challenge caused by Covid-19.

The BBC understands local leaders in Manchester have spoken with the government about a delay.

They and other elected officials across England are understood to have discussed delaying the elections until June or July, with some urging a delay until the autumn.

Greater Manchester's elected mayor Andy Burnham, one of those up for re-election, said he believed ministers wanted the polls to go ahead in May and, if they did, he would recommend them being restricted to postal voting.

It comes amid doubts whether existing coronavirus restrictions across England will be sufficiently relaxed to allow campaigning to take place and for the polls to go ahead on schedule.

MPs will vote later on legislation that will allow the new measures to be in place until 31 March.

These are significant elections.

Millions of people across Great Britain are due a say about who represents them and makes decisions about their local areas, regions and in the case of Scotland and Wales, nations.

Few want to see them delayed for any significant period, particularly given last year's planned elections didn't take place.

But among councils in England there are concerns about how they can be administered safely; whether there will be enough suitable venues for ballots to be cast and staff to man them, how social distancing can be maintained, how much it will all cost, and whether voter confidence will be knocked.

Politically, there are fears traditional door-to-door campaigning won't be able to take place.

Right now local authorities are pressing on with preparations for May, while pushing the government for clarity - sooner rather than later. They don't want to put complex plans in place to find them ditched at the last minute.

Ministers have so far told council leaders no delay is planned, but many think that could easily shift depending on the course of this unpredictable pandemic.

England's current national lockdown is set to last until the middle of February at the earliest and could be further extended, depending on the success of the Covid-19 vaccination rollout.

In a statement to Parliament, Mr Johnson told MPs the lockdown would be lifted gradually when conditions allowed rather than ending "in a bang".

Asked to confirm that these would go ahead as scheduled, Mr Johnson told MPs "that's what the law provides for though obviously we have to keep it under review".

In response, the County Councils Network said a lot of planning had already gone into staging polls in the 32 areas and a decision was needed now.

"Continuing speculation about the elections being deferred is unhelpful so we need urgent clarity and a swift decision from the government as soon as possible," said its chair David Williams.

"If we are left until March or later for a decision to be made, there is a risk that months of hard work from councils would be at risk.

Greater Manchester's elected mayor Andy Burnham, one of those up for re-election, said he believed ministers wanted the polls to go ahead in May and, if they did, he would recommend them being restricted to postal voting.

And a spokesman for West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said they hadn't "heard a peep" about the elections being postponed and they were still working towards May.

2021's elections are set to be the biggest for years, with seats up for grabs in more than 140 county councils, district councils and unitary authorities, including 118 which should have happened in 2020.

13 mayoral contests are also due, including in London, Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Liverpool City region and Bristol, while the London Assembly's 25 members will be elected.

The polls will be the first major electoral test for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The Cabinet Office said it was working with electoral and public health officials to enable people to participate safely and to ensure polling stations were Covid-secure.

It said measures could be put in place at "short notice" to allow more people to cast their votes by post as well as contingency plans for those forced to self-isolate in the run-up to the poll.

"We continue to work closely with the electoral community and public health bodies to resolve challenges and ensure everyone will be able to cast their vote safely and securely - and in a way of their choosing," it said.

The government has signalled it will not allow a postal-only vote, saying this would "remove choice" from those who wanted to vote in person and increased the risk of fraud.

The Electoral Commission has said it believes the elections can go ahead as planned but local leaders are understood to be urging the government to make a swift decision.

Elections for the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament are also due to take place on 6 May. The Welsh authorities have said votes will not counted until the day after the polls close because of the pandemic.